Reviews (1)

I'm Glad I'm Me
Parents,
I have not watched this tape that much but on Sesame Street Grover wants to be someone else. So all Grovers friends on Sesame Street cheer him up and show him how good he is. This is a great video for you and friends to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Entertaining Video!!
I actually have not bought this video yet. However, I have rented it from the library numerous times. My daughter is 20 months old and just loves this video. The songs are very catchy and easy to remember. My daughter also enjoys watching the children on the video. I think this is a great video to entertain children, but I would not expect my child to learn a lot of Spanish from wathcing it.

My 3 month old loves this tape!
My husband and I am raising our 3 month old to be bilingual. He speaks only Spanish to him and I speak only English. We love this tape as a way to give our son more exposure to the Spanish language when my husband is not home. Our 3 month old already shows a definate preference for certain skits and actually laughs out loud at his favorites! Great tape, very entertaining as well as educational.

A bit disapointed
We have Fiesta and absolutely love it so I was a bit disapointed with Exitos Musicales. It doesn't hold my daughters attention like other Sesame Street videos do and the songs are simply not as memorable as the ones on Fiesta.

My daughter's favorite video!
My daughter loves this video! It is the only thing that totally calms her down. She has been watching it since she was 3 months old. Seven months later it is still her favorite. She is mesmorized by it. My husband's first language is Spanish so, it is a great way for her to hear Spanish besides from her father.

A great tool for teaching Spanish to a toddler...
My 21 m.o. little girl really enjoys the video. I sit with her and sing the songs. She really likes "El Parque", Las Vacas, and "Cinco" by Elmo. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A wonderous fantasy adventure!
Jim Henson's non-Muppet fantasy classic is a highly entertaining and magical movie for the whole family.
If you love fantasy and in need of a good time, watch this movie it's one of the best i've ever seen.
Similar movies recommended: Labyrinth, The Princess Bride, Harry Potter Movie Series, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Last Unicorn, The Secret of NIMH, Total Recall, Transformers: The Movie, Willow, Legend, Heavy Metal, The Matrix, The Fifth Element, The Wizard of Oz, Return to Oz, Wizards, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Elm Chanted Forest, The Flight of Dragons and Mulan.

Brilliantly Mind-Boggling!
"The Dark Crystal" is a beautiful film that caters to everyones imagination. Completely colorful, detailed, and breath-taking images let a new fantasy world into your life. A wonderful story line also lets hundreds of lovable (and not-so-loveable) characters create something that brings you through the movie feeling compassionate, hopeful, and maybe a little scared! This is a beautiful movie that should NOT be missed, and DEFINITELY watched again and again...

Dark Crystal Forever
Ever wondered what kind of movies Yoda watches on that lonely planet Degobah? Here's one of them! Although some might prefer Labyrinth, I still think The Dark Crystal was a major accomplishment and a better movie. To make a movie with just puppets is one thing, but it also has one of the greatest fantasy designs and storylines. I hope they will re-release the movie on VHS or even better, DVD. It is what any Fantasy fan could hope for.

Out of Print as Well
If you liked Labyrinth you'll like this one. It shouldn't be missed ... Read more

Amazon.com

Do the Alphabet
When Baby Bear must learn his alphabet in one day, Big Bird patientlytakes him under his wing in Do the Alphabet. Only "The Method,"(a hilarious combination of dance, song, visualization, and grouptherapy) can help Baby Bear on such short notice. The result is 40minutes of ABC's Sesame Street style, where vibrant educationalcartoons, enthusiastic kids, famous guest stars (here, Billy Joel), andharmonizing Muppets make lasting educational impressions. Children ages2 to 6 will enjoy the upbeat musical numbers dedicated to variousletters; a favorite segment features the Boogie Woogie Piggies andtheir flashy rendition of the alphabet song. Throughout the well-pacedshow, Big Bird offers just the right blend of coaching and friendship,much like the ace support-group leader he's mildly spoofing. Hats offto Sesame Street for helping Baby Bear--and his viewingaudience--understand that learning takes time, patience, and a teameffort. --Liane Thomas

123 Count With Me
Join Ernie at the Furry Arms Hotel for a musical lesson in just howuseful counting can be. When Ernie finds and returns a misplaced key,he uses his knowledge of numbers to return the key to the correctguest. As Ernie begins to learn about the hotel business, he finds manycommon situations in which counting is essential. Throughout the30-minute video, Ernie and his friends help children learn to countfrom 1 to 20 with such songs as the jazzy "That's How the Numbers Go,"an original version of the Chorus Line show tune "One," and "RapSong #11." Favorite Sesame Street characters Elmo and the Count arejoined by new characters including Ding the Dinger, a furry fellow witha bell on his head, and Benny, the bellboy that responds to Ding theDinger's dings. Children as young as 18 months will bounce happilyalong with the catchy tunes, and 2-year-olds will be inspired to countaloud with Ernie. Kids up to age 5 will hone their counting skills andlaugh at the increasingly frustrated Benny as he delivers everythingfrom 1 bucket of ice to 15 stampeding elephants! If you're looking fora fun video that teaches counting skills, here it is. --TamiHoriuchi ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Do the Alphabet
I have to say my 12 month old daughter loves do the alphabet she tries to sing along with the songs and dances. This video definitely has her attention. I wouldn't say just because baby bear can't pronounce words correctly my child would speak that way. Unless that is all your child will hear day after day. If the child is conversating with you then baby talk will not be an issue. My daughters vocabulary is very advanced for her age and I don't see her having any speech problems because of the way baby bear talks. As the previous parent suggested. The video is just meant to enforce what you are already teaching you child so they see the alphabet in different settings, cards, toys etc. And help them learn. Not teach them how to talk. My daughter loves it and so do I!!!! The song is very simple and easy for any child to remember.

A wonderful teaching tool!
My daughter loves Sesame Street, so we picked up this video on a whim. Great purchase! At 20 months old, she says her alphabet and counts to 15. It's not just number recognition, either -- she counts items on pages of books and groups of toys. She loves Ernie and Baby Bear, and loves to sing along and dance to the songs. We're very pleased!

Do the Alphabet - a great disappointment
I bought this video along with some of the Elmo's World videos which my son loves, and I was so disappointed after watching it only once. I will not let my 17 month old son watch it as he loves to watch Elmo videos over and over. I don't want him watching Baby Bear doing his "mispwonunciations" while my son is in this stage of learning speech. I do not want my son to listen to the "mispwonunciations" and pick them up and then have to teach him the correct pronunciation later. It's hard enough for them to learn speech but their learning is based on what they hear. Since Sesame Street does not include an age guide on the outside of the video, I'm not sure if they meant for this to be for older children and maybe it isn't a problem when they're older but I plan to donate this video because I wouldn't even give it to another mom to have then go through this. Maybe in a library or a doctor's office where children only view the tape occasionally it would be OK but this was NOT the video for my family to own. I also will not be bringing home anything else with Baby Bear speaking in it.

Must pass this video on to the next generation
I bought this video for my son when he was three years old and in no time, he mastered the video. Now I am passing this knowledge down to my grandaughter who is 7 months. I can't wait to see how she will re-act to the video. My son had a sing along sesame street record he grew up with and I found myself playing his record for my own enjoyment.

Toddler twins love Do The Alphabet
I purchased Do The Alphabet for my boy/girl twins when they were 6 months old and they've been mesmerized by it since. They are now 20 months old and are beginning to say the words of the alphabet song along with Big Bird and Baby Bear. I think that this video and some of our other Sesame Street videos (like The Alphabet Jungle Game) have helped them begin to recognize and be able to say the letters sooner. They are particularly fascinated with Baby Bear. I would highly recommend this one! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My 3 month old loves this tape!
We are raising our infant son to be bilingual. My husband speaks only Spanish to him and I speak only English. Since I wanted more exposure to Spanish for our infant when my husband is at work, I ordered "A Dormir" and played it for background noise. Little did I know our 3 month old would instantly become interested in the bright colors of the muppets and the great songs and skits. He laughs out loud at several of the skits and has several favorites already. This is a wonderful video for those looking for "total immersion" in Spanish as well as being very educational and entertaining.

Excelente!
A mi hijo de dos años, bilingue en español y ingles, le encanta este video. Lo ve en la noche antes de dormir y se pone tranquilo y listo para dormirse. Lo recomiendo para niños que hablan español, y tambien para los que estan aprendiendo. Muy divertido!

a dormir sesame street
great vhs to teach spanish and learn also spanis ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of Jim Henson's finest hours was the Storyteller series that airedon HBO in 1987. As with his other non-Muppet creations (Labyrinth), Henson fills the screen with wonderful creatures that have a wisp of a J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy. Half of the eight-part series was adapted from Greek myths by Anthony Minghella, who became an Oscar-winning filmmaker a decade later with The English Patient. Minghella weaves the narration of the storyteller (a sturdy and wonderful Michael Gambon, accompanied by a scene-stealing dog) with dialogue from the stories--two episodes per video--to beguiling effect.

John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) directs the tale of "Theseus and the Minotaur." A young man reunites with his father, King Aegeus, but is cursed by his witch of a stepmother (literally). When Theseus tries to stop the regular sacrifice to the half-bull, half-man Minotaur, a new curse awaits the young prince. The magical musician Orpheus (Art Malik) finds his muse in "Orpheus and Eurydice." Unfortunately, she soon dies and goes to Hades where Orpheus follows, attempting to win her soul from the devil himself. By nature, the Greek myth episodes are a bit more mature and downbeat (ages 8 and up), yet give the audience lasting impressions of oft-quoted tales. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Truly an all time favorite
In the course of what must now be almost 20 years since I saw Jim Henson's adaptions of fairy tales for the first time, they have lost none of their appeal to me - something, I should perhaps add, that also rings true for most of other Henson's work, ranging from 'Sesame Street', 'The Muppets Show' to 'The Dark Crystal'. Among the twelve episodes of 'The Storyteller' (nine fairy tales, three Greek myths), 'The Soldier and Death' has a special place in my heart, not least thanks to the ranks of rather cute devils that have 'muppet' written all over them. While it is a pity that to this very day there is, indeed, no RC1 dvd edition available, it may be of interest to afficionados that in the Netherlands 4 dvd featuring all 12 episodes were released. While the release by 'Bridge Entertainment' suffers from notable defects in sound & picture quality (the dvds seem to have been mastered from VHS material), to my knowledge it offers what is currently the only chance to view one of the best childrens' series that ever were in their entirety. While I do hope to see the day on which the episodes of 'The Storyteller' get the dvd treatment they deserve, I'll keep on watching my old tapes as I have done for years ... and recommending 'The Soldier and Death' and all other available episodes of 'The Storyteller' to old and new Jim Henson fans alike.

Sapsorrow: the Best Rendition of Cinderella
With a screenplay by Anthony Minghella, soundtrack by Rachel Portman, and production by Jim Henson, it is no wonder that The Storyteller is one of the best series ever filmed. Sapsorrow is my all-time favorite of the 13-odd episodes they made. John Hurt's superb narration gives the story an extra kick, not that it needed it, what with the exciting story of princess who must excape marriage to her father plus the dynamic relationship between the prince and the "Straggletag." "The Luck Child" is another excellent one. You can definitely relate to the wicked king who only wants to keep his kingdom and his daughter to himself, then comes home to find the lucky boy he tried to kill *married* to his daughter. The rest of the series is excellent and then some. See it if you can find it.

among the best
I can't praise these incarnations of the greek myths enough. They are neither watered-down nor meant to cater to the queasy hypocrisy that seems to pass for children's fare in these days of over-protectiveness and over-indulgence. My own children grew up with these tales and appreciated Jim Henson's series for the undiluted yet highly masterful handling of the tales that, until the advent of Shakespeare, best defined the human ethos.

Already the possessor of the equally praiseworthy Storyteller series on DVD, I can only echo the sentiments of previous reviewers: the entire Henson Greek Myth series deserves to be out on DVD.

Superb Video for everyone
Our children watched these videos when they were very young. I searched every store for the past ten years and could never buy them. These are so good that even as teenagers and now as over 20-s they can enjoy them. A great investment for proper viewing for children! I can't agreee more with one reviewer who said that the whole series (Volumes 1and 2 and 3) should be published. Enjoy the ones that are available!!!

C.A.M.
UAE

Please, Oh Please, Give us this on DVD...!
Superb! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Jim Henson's muppet creations, as well as good children's fairy tales (I must admit I enjoy these myself, and I am now 38 years old...!).
I only wish the missing episodes were available. The very best thing, would be the whole collection in a DVD Box Set...!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Can't get enough of this video
Our 27-month old just can't get enough of the fire house video. It shows a tour of the fire station, shows what the firemen do in their spare time, and how they rescue people (a monster in the attic) A great find for the fire truck lover! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Kermit
I have only seen one of these videos but based on that one I can tell you that this is a exellent value and well worth the price. The one that I'm taking about is the best of kermit. It is very smartly shown as a award ceremony called the annual frog of the year award. Kermits life is shown through various clips during this ceremony presented by Grover. This video was so exellently done that I think that this 2 pack is well worth the price for any fan. ... Read more

Reviews (120)

DVD - about time!
well, i can't really rate the dvd, because its not out, but i can rate the film...this is a timeless classic that to me and my family has become synonymous with the weather getting cold....i can't remember a christmas without it...this is the Muppet retelling of "the Gift of the Magi" (which i learned later in life), and with the genious of Jim Henson, another master graces this film - the music of paul Williams...paul williams has been a major influence to me...he also wrote the music for the Secret of Nimh, and some may recognize his voice as the 'Penguin' on the "Batman Animated Series"...he was recently homaged on an episode of "Dexter's Laboratory" as dexter's music teacher...the songs in Jugband Christmas are songs that will stay with you forever..."Grandma's Bathing suit", "Barbeque", "aint no Hole in the Washtub", "Brothers" and my favorite "When the river Meets the Sea"...even if you never saw this film in the 70's or 80's, its never too late to discover it, maybe for your kids to discover it too...

I own both versions of the VHS...the one with more music and less dialog, and the one with more dialog and less music...it will be interresting to see if on this DVD they do one extended version with all the dialog and all the music...I am also curious to see if the quality is restored at all...
Either way, this is a movie to own.

There are 2 versions of Emmet Otter
To clear up some of the confusion and angry reviews about this special being edited, as a fan of Emmet Otter, let me explain that there are 2 different versions of this classic holiday special. In 1977, HBO first aired Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and also ran it in 1978 and 1979 which is the version that's been available on VHS for years and was just released on DVD. In 1980, ABC snatched the special away from HBO for one year and made some changes to it including adding Kermit's voiceover narration, trimming some of the songs ("Ain't No Hole In The Washtub" and the reprise of "When The River Meets The Sea"), extending some scenes like the Riverside Rest scene where Emmet, Ma and the boys are singing inside where it pans over to Kermit narrating to us the audience (the original 1977 version did not have Kermit at the Riverside Rest but just dissolved onto the next scene when Emmet, Ma and the boys are walking home after singing) while trimming others. HBO began airing the special again in 1981 and throughout the '80s but instead of using the original 1977 version that they ran from 1977 to 1979, they instead ran the ABC network version which is what most viewers had remembered seeing and therefore were upset by the video release which was the original 1977 cut and not the 1980 network version. So my advice to those who still have a copy from HBO recorded during the '80s, keep it and buy the video version which is the original version that aired back in 1977 on HBO and watch them back to back and decide for yourself which version you like the most. Personally, I prefer the video edition because that was the version I had remembered watching as a kid. I just wanted to clear up any confusion by those who had bought the video or DVD and was disappointed to see what they thought was an "edited version" of what they had remembered seeing on ABC or HBO in the '80s which is not really the case when it comes to this classic holiday special where there are 2 versions: the 1977 cut which ran on HBO from 1977 to 1979 and the 1980 ABC network version which ran once on ABC in 1980 and on HBO from 1981 into the late '80s. Hope this information helps.

They should be required to indicate that it has been edited
This was one of my favorite Muppets features ever since the first time I saw it on HBO. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have indicated, this version has been clumsily edited and I was very disappointed in the changes. Kermit's narration has been removed, the ending is changed, and some of the lyrics of the songs are redone. The Muppets features always showed the whole range of emotions, from sentimentality to honest anger and a little cartoonish violence. These things have all been removed from the film. I am not sure if the changes were made to "sanitize" this for kids, or if it was just cut for time reasons, but the changes make no sense and really cut the heart out of the film. Save your money until they release the original HBO special.

Great version, but I miss Kermie in the middle
I was one of the people who saw this in its original form and, unlike it's cousin The Muppet Family Christmas, it survived the editing process with only minor resections. However, it boggles my mind why they removed Kermit's narration towards the end of the show. It is quite obvious where they did it because Emmet freeze frames for a few seconds and then it abruptly segways into them singing together. Oh well. I have loved this one since I first saw it on HBO in the late 80's. This is a good example of how a good story survives, no matter how low-tech its presentation is. It is nice to have it on DVD, even with the alterations. Merry Christmas!

My Favorite Christmas Special
My brother and I watched this every year growing up, now my little girl watches it. She loves it just as much as we did. There are a few parts that have been deleted, but it is still a great Christmas special. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

excellent bi-lingual and inclusive video of Israeli life.
These videos are a great transition from the Sesame Street characters of America to the Rohov Sesame characters of Israel. The inclusion of adult stars such as Yitzhoq Perlmann and Bonnie Franklin make this enjoyable for older students and adults as well as pre-schoolers. The large use of humor makes the tape times seem to pass very quickly. A fine way to introduce Israeli culture especially,Israeli Arab culture which is often overlooked in studies of Israel. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

one of the best they made , all my kids loved it over &over
The best thing about it is you can put the kids in front of the television for about 50 minutes and do some things around the house & the kids won't move. They have alot of celeberties in the video. Sesame Street is the BEST thing that ever happened to children lets hope for another 30 years. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sing Yourself Silly wonderful for people of all abilities.
Our daughter is in Special Ed. Her teacher plays this almost every afternoon at rest time. It really helps the children learn language and music. I enjoy the guest stars... including Pres. Clinton! I had to buy the video for our home, so I can figure out who all of the stars are! Y'know, "I know that face and voice, but who IS she/he? " Everyone will like this video, from 1 month old to 110 years old! Buy it. Buy it now! This 2-pack is an extra bonus! ... Read more